Cheating In Virtual Worlds

Is It Really Cheating? Here's Why It Is!

Is cheating in virtual worlds really cheating? I mean if you never lay your eyes on your sexual partner in the virtual world, then is it really cheating?

This is a topic that has been discussed a lot lately with psychiatrist as couples try to resolve their difference of opinions when it comes to what happens in the virtual world.

The virtual world has the ability to completely suck in an individual. Poor people can be rich, men may become women, and short men now become tall. The virtual world is a virtual fantasy that you can enter at anytime by just sitting down at your computer in the comfort of your home.

Here are quick points about Cheating in Virtual Worlds

Easy to Join a Virtual World – Most of these virtual communities are free to join making it so easy to become part of the growing culture.

Intimate Encounters – While many will never meet the people they talk to in these fantasy worlds, intimate encounters are very real. Because of the safety of hiding behind avatar, you are able to express intimate secrets with no problem. These may be secrets that not even you husband or wife may know. (big problem!)

May Never Meet - For most, they will never meet a single sole they talked to in the virtual world in real life, but many relationships formed may be just as real.

Intimate Needs Met – The virtual world makes it easy for someone to meet their needs for love, attention, and intimacy. These are needs usually that are usually filled only by your significant other (not anymore).

Usually Kept A Secret – Because they is such a gray line as to whether cheating in virtual worlds is really cheating, this relationship and lifestyle is usually kept a secret from loved ones.

Brains Can't Distinguish Difference – "Our brains are not specialized for 21st century media," says Professor Reeves. There's no switch that says, ‘Process this differently because it's on a screen'.

Real Life Relationship Suffers –The Law of Energy says something like, 'Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred.' Well relationships are full of energy and when a person starts an online relationship in a virtual world, energy is transferred from their real life relationship into the fantasy world.

Real Person Behind Keyboard – What many seem to forget, is that behind the keyboard in the virtual world is a real person that is interacting which is why it could very well lead to an online affair.

"He had a Second Life affair!"

I really do think cheating in virtual worlds is still cheating and can have a serious impact on the real life relationship.

I would love to hear your thoughts about online cheating in these fantasy worlds.